Series 2, Episode 2

S02E02 Series 2, Episode 2 Summary

It is April, 1917 and with many of the male staff serving in the war, Carson, finds himself under pressure to make that the duties are carried out to his exacting standard. He ends up finding himself be forced to accept help in the dining room from the female staff.

The Crawleys have been the Earls of Grantham since 1772. In the drawing rooms and library and beautiful bedrooms, with their tall windows looking across the park, lives the family, but below stairs are other residents, the servants, as fiercely possessive of their ranks as anyone above.

Some of them are loyal to the family and are committed to Downton as a way of life, others are moving through, on the look out for new opportunities or love or just adventure. The difference being that they know so many of the secrets of the family, while the family knows so few of theirs...